Devolution in the United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom, devolution (historically called home rule) is the Parliament of the United Kingdom's statutory granting of a greater level of self-government to parts of the United Kingdom, such as to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of England, specifically to London and the combined authorities.

Statutory powers have been awarded to the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), and the Northern Ireland Assembly, with authority exercised by their associated executive bodies: the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive respectively. While in England, oversight powers and general responsibility have also been given to the London Assembly, which oversees the Greater London Authority and Mayor of London, and since 2011 various mayoral combined authorities throughout England. There have been further proposals for devolution in England, including national devolution, regional devolution (such as to northern England or Cornwall) or failed proposals for regional assemblies.

Devolution differs from federalism in that the devolved powers of the subnational authority ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains, de jure, a unitary state. Legislation creating devolved parliaments or assemblies can be repealed or amended by parliament in the same way as any statute. Although the parliaments and assemblies in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London, as well as some mayors in England were supported via public referendums. Laws such as the Scotland Act 2016 and Wales Act 2017, affirmed the permanence of their devolved institutions, and any abolishment of such must be voted for in a referendum.

Legislation passed following the EU membership referendum, including the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, undermines and restricts the authority of the devolved legislatures in both Scotland and Wales.^[1]